Rail-joint.



C. H. CALDWELL.

'RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6.191s.

1,171,701, Patented Feb.15,.1916.

A 3 J3 J2 J1 L9 IIIIIIIIIIIlIfI/II';

Witnesses Inventor by l I 4 Attorneys,

(UNITED STATES IZPATENT OFFICE.

onmron 11. cnnnwnnnor Jonitsonnune, PENNSYLVANIA.

nAIL-iofN'r.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known th'a'tI, CLINTON H. a citizen of the United States, residing at Johnsonburgyin the county of Elk and State of Pennsylvania; have invented a new and useful Rail-"Joint,- of which the following-is a specification;

This'invention' relates to rail-joints, one of its objects being to provide simple, compact and durable joint which is clrea'p to manufacture and which permits thenecessary expansion and contraction ofv the rails without danger of; the parts becoming accidentally separated, the various portions of the joint being held together without the use of nuts as heretofore employed;

A further object is to provide a rail joint the parts of which can be readily disconnecte'cl whenever it is desired to repair or replace the same.

With the foregoing and otherrobjects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of the rail joint. Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the opposite side of the joint. Fig. 3 is a section on line A-B, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line CD, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the fastening bolts. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a key. 7 I

Referring to the figures by characters of reference R designates rails of the usual form, these rails being provided with bolt receiving slots 1" as ordinarily.

The rail joint constituting the present invention includes a chair 1 and opposed fish plates 2 and 2, thesefish plates being provided with slots 3 designed to register with the slots 7'. The fish plate 2 is integral with the chair while fish plate 2' is separate and rests upon the chair 1 and back of a rib 1 on the chair. The bolts used in connection with the rails and fish plates each includes a cylindrical stem 4 provided at one end with a head 5 having opposed flat sides so that the thickness of the head is substantially the ste fficaaaa Oriana listen; 7

. merit in a slot 8 in a keys.

Patented mince-"ash nee-masters,- r915: F0. 10a.

y v same the diameter of the stem 4';- The GAnnwinLL,

length oft-he, had'is somewhat lessthan the lengthof each of theslots r and 3- Each stem 4 is provided at that end remote from head with an angular enlargement 6 having a centralrib' 7 on its inner face for engage- This key is in the form of a tapered plate having a slot 8 neare'ach end arid an intermediate slot 1 0 adapted to engage salaries the rail.

The" distancebetween the enlargement 6 and the head 5 is substantially .equal= to the distance? between the outer faces of the fish plates 1 an'd2 when said fish plates are assembled upon opposed sides ofthe rails V In using the parts herein described the ,fish plates" are placed in proper positions upon the sides-of the rails after which the bolts are inserted successively through the alin i'ng series'of apertures. In placing v each bolt in position its head 5 is turned so as to extend longitudinally of the slots after whichfsaid head is thrust through the slots and the bolt given a one-quarter turn so as to bring the head transversely across the slot in the fish plate engaged by the head and the ribs 7 to vertical positions. In the drawings the heads are shown extendedv transversely of the slots in the fish plate 2'."

With the bolts thus positioned they cannot,

obviously, be withdrawn from the slots.

Furthermore the enlargements 6 on the bolts limit the movement of the bolt through the I slot. When each bolt is given aone quarter turn as described, the head 5 of the bolt will engage the outer face of the fish plate 2 while the rib 7 will engage the outer face of'the fishplate 2. After the various bolts have been positioned as described, the keys 9 are placed against the fish to receive the ribs 7 in slots 8 and the studs '11 in slots lO. I

It will be apparent that bolts'constructed and assembled asfldescribed will constitute eflicient connections between the rails and fishplates and will not prevent the neces I sary expansion and contraction of the rails.

It will be noted by referring particularl to Fig. 1 that one key 9 is provided for eacii rail R. these keys one ofthe rails can be removed from the fish plates without disconnecting the fish plates from the other rail, as would be necessary should a single key-be combined 1 with the bolts of both .rails.

It will be noted that thestem of each bolt 7 Consequently by removing one of plate 2, so as is of uniform diameter so that it is of uniform strength and it will be noted furthermore that, the entire bolt can be readily produced Without any machine work. The

joint can be combined. with standard rails and fish plates and, While the joint allows for expansion and contraction of the rails,

the base portions of the fish plates are held tightly clamped by the bolts upon the base flanges of the rails so that the rails are at all times tied properly together at their fish plates when the bolt is given a one quarter turn, an angular enlargement upon that. end 0t each bolt remote from the head and )rovided with a rib. a he havin slots for the reception of the ribs 011 the bolts thereby to hold the bolts against rotation.

and with the heads in engagement with the fish plates adjacent thereto, and means upon the rails for detachably engaging the keys 2. The combination with abutting rails l and 'fishplates engaging the sides thereof,

said rails and fish plates having alining,

slots ofbolts insertible through the slots,

ment upon that end ofeach-bolt' remote from the head and having a rib and separate keys having slots for the reception otthe ribs;

upon the bolts engaging the respective'rails, and means engaging the keys and extending a from the rails for holding the'keys against removal lrom the rails.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as;

my own, I have hereto affixed mysignature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CLINTQN Hi OALD /VELL.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). 0. 

